Censorship is a phenomenon that has quite long history and different functions. In case your task is to write an essay on censorship, you can select between the two angles of research:
- Synchronic: studying and discussing current state of censorship in a certain place;
- Diachronic: conducting research of historical development of the phenomenon.
Consequently, you should limit the time period and location which you choose for your paper. This point is quite important as the topic of your essay should be neither too broad nor too narrow. Here you can find some good topics for the censorship essay.
Historical Perspective of Censorship
- Censorship in Ancient Greece.
- Socrates as a violator of political and moral code of his time: first cases of censorship.
- Freedom of thought and speech in pre-Christian times.
- Censorship and the Orthodox Church on the early stages.
- Printed press invention as a reason for the increase of the necessity of censorship.
- Catholic Church and censorship in the Middle Ages.
- European governors controlling art and science.
- Inquisition and censorship.
- How things changed during the Enlightenment age: progress in free speech and thought expression.
- “Yokohama Mainichi” newspaper case and censorship in Japan in the 18th century.
- The USSR and censorship: political and moral issues.
- Burning books in Nazi Germany.
- South Africa Apartheid and freedom from speech oppression.
Classification of Censorship
- Religious type of censorship.
- Moral type of censorship.
- Corporate type of censorship.
- Military type of censorship.
- Political censorship.
Ethical Issues of Censorship
- Should art be censored?
- Art restrictions and freedom of thought.
- Censorship and cultural diversity.
- Censorship as expression of violence.
- Anti-Semitism in media: should it be censored?
- Censorship as a method of conflict prevention.
- Anti-vaccination movement.
- Does censorship have place in democratic countries?
- Censorship and education: should we censor books and information from the media in order to protect children and adolescents from harmful impacts?
- Censorship of violent and sexual content in media.
- Which content is more dangerous in mass media: violent or sexual?
- Political grounds of censorship.
- Should the media allow extreme views to be expressed?
- Does fear cause censorship or vice versa?
- Reasons for censoring books.
- Should the printed media implement more severe censorship than TV, web resources and video games?
Writing Recommendation for Censorship Essay
- Remember that censorship is a disputable question, so once you get an assignment to complete an essay, first of all, you should decide whether you support it or not.
- Regardless of the topic you select for your paper, do not forget about the structure. The essay typically contains 3 main parts: an introduction, a body and a conclusion.
- One of the most suitable types of essay for the “Censorship” topic is “cause and effect essay”. If you choose to complete it, you should first clarify the reasons for censoring particular media at the certain time and in the certain place. Secondly, you should explain the consequences of it. In the conclusion you may generally assess if the censorship, which you discussed, has a positive or negative character.
- You may be also assigned to compose an argumentative or a persuasive essay on censorship. Writing one of these two types of essays implies that you make a certain statement regarding the mentioned issue, which should contain your personal opinion on it, and provide sound evidence to support your ideas. Below we are going to consider a few tips on how to manage such kind of writing task.
- Despite the fact that generally any essay on any topic requires that you express your own point of view or introduce the position you take, still you should do some little research. This means that before you create a new document on your laptop and name it “essay for Thursday” or something like that, you should search for the materials which could help you learn more about the issue you have chosen for your paper.
- In order to make your search and writing itself much easier, you can draft a plan or an outline for the essay. Write down the questions you would like to make out and think about how you would like to structure your text. Although it should still have three main elements, you can divide the body paragraph into several logical parts to introduce all your considerations to the fullest extent. Also, you can provide two conclusions: the first one would sum up everything you have stated above and once again present your unambiguous opinion; the second one may contain some prospects or prognoses.
Some Remarks on the Argumentative Essay About Censorship
If you choose a topic which is focused more on a particular aspect of such many-sided notion as censorship, then you can hardly escape proving your personal opinion on it. However, your opinion cannot be based just on the fact that “you think so”. Every idea generated by your brain must have (or at least it is supposed to have) an absolutely real basis formed by all information you can draw from various sources.
Such topic as “Censorship in Ancient Greece” is rather descriptive. It requires thorough investigation and, probably, some analysis which could help you with making conclusions. However, the question about whether art should be censored or not turns out to provide quite good food for thought. What is more, if you opt for it, you will need to explain why you choose the side of those who support the idea of censoring art or of those who do not.
So, your sequence of actions is:
- choose of the topic and define which side you take;
- make a list of the questions to answer;
- do some research and find good evidence to support your attitude;
- plan the structure;
- take a deep breath and start writing.
How to Support and Dethrone the Idea of Censorship: Research Paper Tips
Whichever side you are going to choose when writing a paper on such topic, you should remember that your approach to it should be persuasive but unbiased. Of course, you should use more than one source of evidence in order to make the right impression and carry your personal opinion to the reader of your essay.
Note that the purpose of really thorough research lies not only in pleasing your professor. The work with different materials and citing them in your research paper can help you feel more confident in what you are writing and trying to prove.
Let’s check what ideas our professional essay writers have come up with after they analysed opinions of very reputable figures. We’re going to throw out to you a few arguments for and against the concept of censorship. Topics for research paper on this phenomenon vary greatly. So, let’s see what great minds think about our today’s agenda.
Essay Tip #1: Samuel Johnson: Knowing of Death Penalty Still Doesn’t Let Us Sleep with Doors Open
This can be an interesting thought for your research paper. The famous English writer used this metaphor to express the opinion that freedom of printing should be restrained to some extent. The fact that an author can create everything he or she wants doesn’t mean that this author won’t be criticised in the end. So, it’s probably better to realise what is censored and why than being censured “for nothing”.
Essay Tip #2: Kate Adie: Life-Or-Death Issues Can’t Go Without Censorship
Cite this great woman in your research paper and stay sure you will convince your professor to accept your view on the issue. The British journalist noted that there could be no press without certain limits and prohibitions. Especially in the times of war or other disasters.
Essay Tip #3: Potter Stewart: Support of Censorship Means Lack of Confidence
How about citing a former Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court in your research essay? He claims that if a society has to apply purposeful criticism against certain ideas, no matter in what form they are expressed, or people, this society isn’t certain of anything that happens in it or around it. Indeed, mistrust of a different opinion shakes the trust in a widely-accepted one.
Essay Tip #4: Charles Bukowski: Writing About “the Bad” but Not Generalising
The American-German author highlight that when he writes about the black people or people with non-traditional sexual orientation in a “bad” way, it means that he writes about really bad people. Not about everybody who has black skin or “non-traditional” sexual preferences. Why must he be censored then? Develop the thought about censorship versus truth in your research paper.
Good luck with writing your essay! And feel free to express your opinions.
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